Central Avenue Resurfacing Project Progresses to Second Section of First Part on Monday, April 20

April 15, 2026 - Beginning Monday, April 20, 2026, work moves eastward on Central Avenue as Iowa American Water continues the first part of the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project by replacing the water main in some spots from 14^th Street to Pius Lane.

Beginning Monday, April 20, crews will begin work on the second of five sections from 18^th Street to 21^st Street. That section of Central Avenue will be closed and a detour will be in place using 18^th Street on the west, Mississippi Boulevard to the south, and 21^st Street to the east (see map below). Work on this section is expected to take three weeks, weather permitting, and then crews will move east to the third section from 21^st Street to 23^rd Street. The City will release a start date as crews wrap up the second section.

As Iowa American Water moves west to east down Central Avenue, crews will start the second part of this project - replacing sanitary sewer lines in two areas, which will also cause closures and detours. The City will release a start date for that part of the project at a later date.

Note to Central Avenue Residents:
There will be no changes to solid waste collection, mail delivery, or emergency services. Once you place your solid waste containers out in your normal location, the contractor will move them to a location accessible to the City's Public Works Crews. They will then be returned to your residence. During construction, please mark your containers with your address using duct tape. Mailboxes may be moved to a central location at the end of the street. If moved, they will be returned and reset after construction is complete.

April 6, 2026 - City Engineer Brent Morlok made a presentation to Bettendorf City Council on the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project:

March 27, 2026 - Beginning Monday, March 30, 2026, work begins on Central Avenue from 14^th Street to Pius Lane as crews replace the water main in some spots, sanitary sewer lines in some spots, then resurface this entire stretch (1.4 miles) of roadway.

"We know how important this project is and couldn't be more ready to get it started," said Brent Morlok, City Engineer. "Staff began planning for this several years ago and worked to obtain a federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program grant to cover a significant portion of the project. The project has experienced delays due to federal regulations tied to the grant, but everything is approved and we're excited to move forward."

Project Overview
The Central Avenue Resurfacing Project will be split up into three parts. The first part involves Iowa American Water replacing the water main. The second part involves crews replacing sanitary sewer lines. The third part involves crews resurfacing the roadway.

Project Updates
To ensure the safety of the traveling public and construction workers onsite, there will be several closures and detours in place which will change as the project progresses. Throughout the entire construction period, the City will be updating this webpage and our road construction webpage, as well as the City's Facebook page, Nextdoor account, and sending out texts and/or emails to users who opt into a specific Alert Iowa List entitled "Central Avenue Resurfacing Project." You can view all of the City's communications channels and customize your own on our Be in the Know webpage.

Project Schedule
Beginning March 30, the first part of this project begins. Iowa American Water Crews will replace the water main in five sections of Central Avenue starting with the first section from 15^th Street to 17^th Street. That section of Central Avenue will be closed and a detour will be in place using 14^th Street on the west, Mississippi Boulevard to the south, and 18^th Street to the east. Work on this section is expected to take three weeks, weather permitting, and then crews will move east to the second section from 18^th Street to just past 19^th Street. The City will release a start date as crews wrap up the first section.

As Iowa American Water moves west to east down Central Avenue, crews will start the second part of this project - replacing sanitary sewer lines in two areas, which will also cause closures and detours. The City will release a start date for that part of the project at a later date.



July 17, 2025 - The City of Bettendorf is excited to announce that the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project has successfully cleared all environmental and cultural resource evaluations as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NEPA is part of the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG), which is a federal program paying for roughly 60% of the project. See our earlier story below for more information.

The next step is to finalize the project's design. After that, the project will be put out for bid, which is anticipated to happen in January 2026. Construction will begin in Spring 2026.

October 1, 2024 - The City of Bettendorf is updating its timeline for the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project to ensure the safety of properties located along the project's corridor (from 14^th Street to Pius Lane).

In 2022, the City was awarded a $1,837,500 Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to help pay for the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project, which is expected to cost a total of $3 million. STBG is a federal program and those who receive money must comply with requirements from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):

"Those requirements consist of several environmental clearances as well as historic and cultural clearances," explained Brent Morlok, City Engineer. "One of those clearances is a cultural resources evaluation to determine if any of the properties located in the project area could be eligible for vibration monitoring or for inclusion on the National Register for Historic Places."

During that evaluation, IDOT's Cultural Resources Office and Office of the State Archaeologist determined that there are 180 properties within 50 feet of the project that could be affected since they are more than 50 years old and have never been evaluated before with one exception - The Abbey, which is on the National Register for Historic Places.

Once the evaluation is complete, IDOT's Cultural Resources Office and Office of the State Archaeologist will need to review the results. Due to this process, the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project - which was slated to begin in 2025 - is expected to be delayed but remains a top priority for the City to complete:

"We know how important this project is, especially to those who live along Central Avenue," said Morlok. "While we're disappointed to push back the start of construction, this project is a $3 million reinvestment in the center of our City and we are committed to not only ensuring a successful project for our residents, but also to maintaining our compliance for any future federal grants."